Illuminata (1999)

Starring John Turturro, Katherine BorowitzRated R

Screen It! is not attempting to rate the movie as good or bad but to give parents the tools to decide whether it's appropriate for their kids.

This movie has been screened for objectional content in 15 areas. Click for a detailed look.

OUR WORD TO PARENTS:The following is a brief summary of the content found in this comedy/drama hybrid. Several sexual encounters are present, some of which involve nudity, including one that heavily implies male to female oral sex, and another with a woman manually stimulating a man. Some sexually related dialogue also occurs, a homosexual character tries to put the moves on a straight man, and other nonsexual nudity is also present.Profanity is heavy with at least 9 "f" words, along with some other profanities and colorful phrases. Some mild violence is present and one character smokes a great deal, while other smoking and drinking also occurs.Beyond all of that, the film's remaining categories have relatively little or nothing in the way of major objectionable content. Nonetheless, should you still be concerned about the film's content, we suggest that you take a closer look at what's been listed.

QUICK TAKE:

Drama/Comedy: A turn of the century New York playwright must contend with a bevy of idiosyncratic characters as he tries to get his latest play staged.

WILL KIDS WANT TO SEE IT?

Unless they're fans of someone in the cast or of live theater, it's extremely unlikely.

WHY THE MPAA RATED IT: R

For sexual content, nudity and language.

CAST AS ROLE MODELS:

JOHN TURTURRO plays a reserved playwright who hopes for success with both his latest play and his romance with Rachel. He does receive some unreturned sexual attention from Celimene.

KATHERINE BOROWITZ plays the troupe's leading actress and the love of Tuccio's life who becomes jealous of his apparent connection/relationship with Celimene.

SUSAN SARANDON plays an older diva who tries to manipulate Tuccio sexually and offers him guaranteed success in exchange for being her "kept" talent.

CHRISTOPHER WALKIN plays a foppish and gay theater critic who's critical of everyone and everything, but does take a liking to Marco and tries to put the moves on him.

BILL IRWIN plays that young actor who reluctantly agrees to meet the critic hoping he can persuade him to change his review of their play.

BEVERLY D'ANGELO and DONAL McCANN play the theater owners who end up having affairs with others.

RUFUS SEWELL plays the troupe's self-absorbed leading man who has sex with Simone and smokes a lot.

Although it's not presented to be unsettling, a person collapses on stage and is presumed and then announced to be dead (he's not), but does later die in bed with others by his bedside (which could be unsettling to some viewers).

We briefly see a man threaten another person in a darkened tunnel with a knife-life object or shank as he robs him.

At least 9 "f" words (1 used sexually as is the word "pork"), 1 "s" word, what sounded like 2 slang terms for female genitals ("c*nt"), 2 slang terms for breasts ("t*t"), 3 uses of "buggered," 3 uses each of "Oh God" and "Oh my God" and 1 use each of "G-damn," "Christ," "Jesus" and "God" as exclamations.

We hear sexual sounds (a woman's reactions) and then see Simone pleasurably reacting to what Dominique is doing between her legs (we can't see him as he's completely hidden from view). We do see her bare breasts as well as her near orgasmic reaction to his actions (and directions of what he's to do -- "Left...left..."). Moments later, we see her rush out with only a sheet (or something similar) covering her. Dominique is then upset with her saying that she almost climaxed and accuses her of being incapable of "culmination."

During a long line of describing things he dislikes, Umberto includes the thought of Celimene "fornicating" with a man.

One of the players comments that Dominique "f*cked all day," causing someone else to say that's what their play is all about (fornication).

Celimene shows some cleavage in several scenes.

As Simone rehearses, a man paints her bare nipple.

Tuccio imagines seeing Rachel talking to a man with her bare breasts exposed (and no one seemingly thinking anything of it). This is after that man tells her, "Watching you from twenty feet away, I felt like I slept with you."

Flavio makes a comment (that sounded like) finding his daughter having sex with someone and then (what sounded like) having to find someone to have sex with.

When complaining to Astergourd about their marriage, he says that he can deal with the lack of sex, but doesn't want his masculinity belittled.

Astergourd appears to become visibly aroused when Beppo seductively eats a large flower he brought her.

A character comments that Oedipus has sex with his mother in the play named after him.

When Marco receives an invitation from Umberto to his house, the young man is upset and tells Beppo that "He'll pork me." Beppo then says, "Well let him. And act like you like it." (All so that the critic may write a favorable review of their play).

As Dominique and Orlandini walk along at night, Dominique mentions that he smells sex. Orlandini then asks if he thinks masturbation is a sin and Dominique replies that it depends on where one's other hand is.

Marta comes on to Pallenchio as he eats dinner. She states that she's a bone person and likes to suck on bones. We then see her seductively suck on a chicken bone leg and then slowly run it in and out of her mouth. She then starts to undress (off camera) and he looks at her obvious nudity. Moments later, we see him kissing, rubbing and fondling her very large and bare breasts.

Umberto, who's gay, tries to seduce Marco (and during this we see a sketch/drawing of two nude men wrestling, showing one of their bare butts). He then tries to get Marco to admit that he's "a buggered rosebud."

We see most of Celimene's bare breasts through a sheer curtain hanging in her bedroom. Moments later we see her and Tuccio kissing. Several scenes later and while seated, she asks him if he's ever milked a cow as she undoes his pants and puts her hand inside them. We then see a different angle of this same scene and can see her rhythmically moving her arm (manually stimulating him), but can't see the actual act since his body now blocks our view). We also see his pleasured reaction to what she's doing. Later, she pulls up her dress and tells him to look at what could be his (but we don't see anything, although he apparently does).

Simone crawls into bed with Piero, but we don't see anything other than her snuggling up to him.

We see Astergourd kissing Beppo's bare chest and belly. Later, we see her writhing on top of him from either sex or oral sex, but we can't see either.